Calls are growing for Nigeria’s National Assembly to introduce a strong legal framework to regulate constituency projects and stop the culture of waste, abandonment, and poor accountability.
At a roundtable in Abuja, stakeholders dissected the Zaria Declaration, which demands reforms in local government autonomy and project transparency. Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), raised concern over trillions of naira lost to abandoned projects.
“Without firm laws, trillions will keep vanishing on poorly executed projects, deepening poverty at the grassroots. Some lawmakers claim constituency projects mean fixing mosques, churches, or funding pilgrimages, while communities that desperately need water are instead handed roads they did not ask for,” Rafsanjani said.
He stressed that constituency projects should work hand-in-hand with local government systems, allowing the public to track how funds are spent.
Professor Dalhatu Jummal of Ahmadu Bello University added that a proper maintenance plan and structured coordination are critical. “If Nigeria is serious about solving poverty, insecurity, exclusion, and inequality, the change must start from the grassroots. Local governments must be revived as engines of development, and traditional authorities must be restored as genuine partners in governance,” he said.
Dr Christopher Ngara, Acting Director of Democracy and Governance at NILDS, criticised the rubber-stamp culture of local government budgets. He called for financial autonomy to be balanced with strict oversight, ensuring resources are not diverted or abused.
